Explore Greenland

Sea Kayaking / Touring

West Greenland, Ilulissat - Nanortalik - June - August 2018

Lured by its vast wilderness, and with a focus on exploring both by paddle and on foot, the two Kiwi women will spend 60 days kayaking from Ilulissat in Disko Bay to the community of Nanortalik, which lies near Greenland’s southern tip.

Sea Kayaking / Touring

West Greenland, Ilulissat - Nanortalik - June - August 2018

Lured by its vast wilderness, and with a focus on exploring both by paddle and on foot, the two Kiwi women will spend 60 days kayaking from Ilulissat in Disko Bay to the community of Nanortalik, which lies near Greenland’s southern tip.

The team

Nothing compares to the beauty of the midnight sun, the windswept landscapes, the glaciers, wildlife and ice."

Setting out in early June 2018, Tara Mulvany and Fiona (Fi) Lee will embark on a two month long sea kayak expedition along Greenland’s west coast. Allowing 60 days for this adventure, they plan to explore both by paddle and on foot, venturing up valleys, peaks and rivers along the way. They will also spend time engaging with locals in a number of remote communities where they plan to resupply with food and fuel.

Tara Mulvany

Their intended starting date is June 1st, which should coincide with the breakup of sea ice along Greenland’s west coast and the Disko Bay area. Some of the major challenges they will face on the journey itself are strong winds, freezing temperatures - particularly in the first few weeks of their expedition, the potential of sea ice in the early stages, and rough seas.

Fi and Tara are a strong team with ample expedition experience. They thrive when faced with challenges, and have a passion for travelling by simple means into wild and remote places. But most importantly, they share the same motivations and style of adventuring. Fi puts it simply; “for us, it’s all about the journey.”

Tara Mulvany in Antarctica

Greenland’s west coast is home to not only large stretches of vast wilderness, but also Inuit communities and colorful coastal villages. This is one of the major draws for both women, who hope to connect with the birthplace of the kayak, and it’s people, on more of an intimate level.

Fi states, “Encounters with people in isolated and remote places has been a rich part of our individual adventures in the past. The kayak is a key link for this, and we hope to connect at a more intimate level with those we encounter along the way.”

Since completing a grueling 71 day circumnavigation of Svalbard in 2015, Tara continues to be lured back to the far north. The idea of paddling Greenland’s west coast came about in mid-2017 through a desire to explore more of the Arctic, and the realization that the best way to do that was by sea kayak. In her words, “There is something just so fitting about travelling Greenland’s coast by kayak. Nothing compares to the beauty of the midnight sun, the windswept landscapes, the glaciers, wildlife and ice.” Just as the Greenlandic Inuit have done for centuries, Fi and Tara will also traverse coastlines with sweeping tundra, giant glaciers and narrow fjords.

Tara Mulvany - Svalbard Expedition 2015 - photo Jaime Sharp

Nothing compares to the beauty of the midnight sun, the windswept landscapes, the glaciers, wildlife and ice."